FRIENDS -- Season 2 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

By Rana Moharram

Twenty years after it first appeared on TV, Friends is still the quintessential show about being twenty-something. It may lack smartphones and drug-fuelled clubbing, but perhaps that’s why it still holds up. It tells a familiar story; one of working hard, attempting success and trying to scrape enough together to eat dinner with people we actually like. I’m sure many of us have watched each and every episode and loved them enough to keep following the cast’s interviews on Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah talk shows. But here are 15 “Friends” fun facts that will make all of you, die hard fans, love them even more!

1. “The One Where No One’s Ready” takes place entirely in Monica’s apartment because the show didn’t have a large enough budget for guest stars or additional sets.

where nobody's ready

2. Courtney Cox is actually older than David Schwimmer, despite playing his younger sister.

monica and ross

 

3.  Ross and Rachel weren’t meant to be the central romance of the series. Their storyline was developed because of David Schwimmer’s and Jennifer Anniston’s chemistry.

ross and rachel

4. In the first season, each of the main six cast members earned $20,000 per episode.

friends

 

5.  In 1997, they negotiated an unprecedented salary increase of $100,000 per episode. It was the first time in TV history that cast members had united to revisit their packages.

friends season 2

6.  By the final season, they each took-home $1,000,000 per episode.

season 10

 

7.Ross’s role was especially written for David Schwimmer.

david schwimmer

8. Lisa Kudrow hated playing the guitar at first but later on admitted that her favourite song was the infamous “Smelly Cat”.

lisa kudrow

9.  The entire show was filmed in front of live audience – except for cliffhangers.

season 10

10. Lisa Kudrow’s pregnancy was written into the show, but Courtney Cox’s was not. (Season 10)

lisa kudorw pregnant

 

11.  For the opening credits in “The One After Vegas”, everyone was given the last name “Arquette” in honor of Courtney Cox and David Arquette’s marriage.

last name arquette

12.  In season six, Bruce Willis made a complimentary appearance on the show after losing a bet to Mathew Perry.

bruce willis

13.  The cast had a huddle before every single episode.

chandler_phoebe_and_joey

 

14.   Many Cafes were named ‘Central Perk’ after the famous coffeehouse from the show.

season 1

15. Last year, “Friends” turned 10, which makes Ben 20, Monica and Chandler’s twins 10, Emma 12 and Phoebe’s triplets 17.

ben geller